At last, after much disputation with the natives, Lieutenant Silva, commandant of the Portuguese force, took from the cargo of the British cutter “Herald” sixty pounds sterling worth of goods, to pay for the release of himself and party, and to be permitted to take with him the “Herald.” The boom was then removed, and King Manakusi bade him “go!”—at the same time warning him what the consequences would be, not only to any Portuguese whom he might find in the river without his permission, but to the settlement at Lourenço Marques, if they again attempted to infringe on his territory. This Lieutenant Silva knew was no idle threat; for the fort, as it is called, at Lourenço Marques, is frequently in imminent peril from the natives, who generally inflict some punishment on the Portuguese annually, after the trading season is ended, as a return for some injury inflicted during that period.
Previous to getting under weigh, the two men who were missing from the “Herald” joined the party, one being ill with fever.
Soon after weighing, it became apparent that the captors were quite incompetent to manage the prize, and Lieutenant Silva was obliged to ask Mr. Duncan to navigate the “Herald” to Lourenço Marques. The following remarks are from Mr. Duncan’s journal, and show the relative position of the English and the Portuguese in this affair:—
“On our way down the river, it was somewhat novel that, although prisoners, we were left on board to enjoy our floating home, contrary to all instructions; a condescension worthy of esteem, had it emanated from a feeling of sympathy or kindness; for although the accommodation on board our cutter was far from being sufficient for any length of time, yet it was a palace compared with the wretched condition which those miserable creatures were in, in their open boats, and which we should have had to endure, had it not been that on us alone they depended to take their cutter with a deck-load of their vermin to Lourenço Marques; for though so many in number, there was not one sailor among them who could work the craft.
“This doubtless will appear strange, especially to persons who understand the nature of such an expedition, not to be provided with a few mariners to carry out, to the strict letter, their orders. What could be more absurd than to entrust those whom they considered their prisoners to take the cutter, and a host of their force on board, to where they had orders to take her? Doubtless it was to their overwhelming numbers compared with us, more especially as they were armed to the teeth, that they trusted. But could they have conceived the danger they placed themselves in, they would have been glad to take to their boats when we got into the open bay, and let us go; for nothing could have been more easy, with a strong breeze blowing from the southward and eastward, having a good offing, and the sea running considerably high, than to have washed the deck, and rid ourselves of the nuisance. Nothing but an opinion of their proceedings being unlawful, and a hope of having full damages awarded through the official interposition of H.M. Consul, Mr. M’Leod, prevented me ridding the world of an intolerable portion of its offscourings.
“On the evening of the third day’s sail down the river we arrived at Lourenço Marques harbour, and shortly after coming to an anchor, an order came for the rudder of the cutter to be unshipped and sent on shore; between ten and eleven o’clock another order, for her mainsail to be unbent and sent on shore, together with the guns, which had been kept loaded in the cabin, and the ship’s papers. Next day, an order came for the cutter to be got under weigh and laid on the beach, without her rudder and mainsail, and a fresh breeze blowing off the land.
“As it was to me the Governor sent the orders, I refused to comply, telling him that I would not undertake to do any such thing—that I considered his orders absurd,—that I thought I had done sufficient in bringing the vessel, cargo, Portuguese troops, and his people safe into port—that if he wished to humbug the boat about, he must send men of his own, and at his own risk. Shortly afterwards, a large barge was sent off, manned with negroes, to tow her on shore, which was accomplished, but not without considerable difficulty.
“On the following day, Saturday, the 12th December, everything was taken out of her and carried into the fort. That done, we were all ordered to land, and marched into the fort, the sick among us being placed in the same room.
“In the afternoon, myself and two others were ordered back to the boat, the sick sent to a place on the opposite side of the square in the fort, called an infirmary, a most wretched apology for one; it was far inferior to the one attached to the D’Urban Gaol in comfort, although much larger. The scenes witnessed there by our sick I leave them to describe, should they be disposed to do so. As to the district surgeon, his attention, and the use of means placed at his disposal, nothing can be said against him.